Alaska is everything and more than
I imagined it would be. As the days are
winding down (and tomorrow is our last day), I am starting to reflect on
everything we’ve done and how much we have experienced as a group, as well as
individually. From day one, the nature
and wild life has been breathtaking and becomes even more so with each
day. It is SO crazy that it never gets
old! I am so lucky to have gone to so
many unique places such as Anchor Point (where we have been staying), Seward,
the Homer Spit, and Soldotna. With each
week comes a new place and a variety of activities.
So far the
two biggest highlights of my trip out of many would have to be kayaking on
Kachemak Bay and dog sledding in Seward.
Both to me are once in a lifetime experiences that I will always
remember. Kayaking was amazing and we
went at a time of a unique low tide, which was awesome due to the fact that we
were able to view sea life we may have otherwise gone without seeing. The sea stars are brilliantly beautiful as
well as the other species such as anemones.
We kayaked around Yukon Island, which totaled to be about 7 miles. I was tired but the beautiful things I saw
(sea caves, otters, birds, sea life) made it well worth it! As for the dog sledding, I have been obsessed
with the Iditarod since we learned about it and acted it out in fifth
grade. Seavey’s kennel is very well
known since they recently won the Iditarod and have a couple times in past
years. The dogs are precious, however I
can see how they could not be pets in a normal household. We were able to hold three day old puppies
and naturally I wanted to pass away because they were so adorable. However, the actual dog sledding was insane. We went race speed and Spencer, our guide,
called out commands as he would in a race. The experience was awesome for sure.
Hiking,
touching Exit Glacier, swimming in Glacier Lake, tide pooling, Halibut fishing,
shopping, listening to speakers, just to name a few, has made this trip special
and unforgettable. As my time in Alaska
comes to an end, I could not be more grateful for the memories I have made with
people I will never forget.
